When I Grow Up
by H. S. Hines
Summary: A temporal anomaly causes reverse aging in crew members. References to ST: TNG "Rascals" are intentional. FF content eventually . Alternate Title: Born For Each Other. Complete. Please R&R. Issues with formatting occurred when uploading-will try to fix.
1. When I Grow Up, Part 1

_Disclaimer: The author is not stealing from Paramount but merely 'borrowing' as described by the "Handbook of Playground Possession". A fictional document in which it states"If I was playing with it five minutes ago it's mine. If you aren't holding it tight enough it's mine. If it looks like mine it's mine. If I like it; it's mine. If it's mine; it must never in any way appear to be YOURS." Therefore, seeing Paramount as the big bully who wrote this handbook I acknowledge that only the STORY and none of the characters or ships are mine. On the other hand I haven't got any milk money so don't beat me up for playing with your toys!_

References to _ST: TNG _"Rascals" are intentional.

Code: T/7.  
Rating: PG  
Feedback welcome and appreciated.

**When I Grow Up**

"Captain, I think you better get down here." Kathryn heard the words issued from the comlink with fear in her heart. She stood, turned and looked at the empty post to her right. Well, not empty. A crewman stood at Harry Kim's station, performing his tasks until he returned. Her eyes traveled to the adapted Astrometrics station and finally rested on the Bridge Engineering console.

All were occupied by lower deck crewmen. Janeway was in the turbolift moments later, giving Chakotay command of the Bridge as she left, almost as an afterthought.

"Sickbay."

The lift lights flashed upward, declaring her decent, then switched to a side scroll, letting her know that she would soon be standing in the hall leading to Sickbay, where her away team waited for her, either dead or alive.

_'Oh God, please let them be alive_,' her mind screamed as the doors hissed open. She tried to walk, but finally succumbed to a full-out run as she heard screams being issued from within the medical bay. The doors slid open at her approach and Kathryn's eyes scanned the room, searching for her officers. _Harry Kim: check, Neelix: check, Ensign Parsons: check... B'Elanna and Seven?_

Where were her girls?

The screams were odd, and somehow familiar. Janeway ran to the surgical bay, where she could hear the strange cries being issued. The men were fine. Janeway looked at the empty beds, her eyes following them until they rested upon the EMH. He was bent over a single biobed, blocking her view of its inhabitant.

Kathryn blanched. _Inhabitant._ So one of them hadn't survived. Her hand clenched tightly into a ball and she braced herself for the loss... of B'Elanna... of Seven... her underlings, sometime students, outcast daughters.

She didn't want to know which she had lost; she couldn't bear for it to be either one. But she had no choice-she was the Captain. It was her duty...

"Captain." Janeway opened her eyes, not having realized that they were closed. The doctor was looking at her, a confused expression on his face. She expected grim, reluctant or even sorrowful, but not this look of utter bafflement. She quickly hurried around him and saw-

Two infants. One pink and human, the other red and Klingon-the cause of the young screams. She didn't look happy. Her tiny hands were balled up in fists and gurgling cries issued from her scrunched up face. She waved her hands fiercely, in direct contrast to the fair, alert baby next to her, sucking her own fist peacefully.

Though Janeway had seen neither woman in her earliest form, it was unmistakable who the two babies were. Seven was almost bald, while B'Elanna sported a shock of black hair, falling over the five tiny ridges on her forehead.

"What happened?" Janeway demanded, immensely relieved that she had been wrong, that they were both alive-if somewhat altered.

"I'm not quite certain, Captain," the Doctor answered, continuing his scans of the two babies, Seven fast asleep and B'Elanna still screaming her head off. Kathryn instinctively reached for the baby and looked at the doctor for permission. He nodded his head and Kathryn picked her up. The change was instant. B'Elanna was silenced with the contact and as she banged her heavy little head against Kathryn's shoulder, her fist caught up in Kathryn's hair, which she was wearing down, clutching a fistful.

B'Elanna's huge, black eyes met Kathryn's and they slowly closed until she, too, was sound asleep. Neelix had entered the room by now and smiled at Janeway. He looked like he had been distressed by the infant cries, but relief was obvious on his face that they had passed. Janeway couldn't help thinking that he would have made a wonderful father if the universe had seen fit to allow it.

"W-w-we passed through a-a-an anomaly and suddenly, our shields went out. The next thing we knew, we were here. The anomaly appeared out of nowhere and then was just su-s-suddenly..." His eyes darted nervously around the room; he obviously hadn't found it a very pleasant experience.

"Why were only the women affected?" Kathryn asked, turning again to the Doctor.

"It had something to do with the peculiar radiation emitted by the 'anomaly'-some sort of molecular reversion field. It rejected the Y chromosome and caused the paternal X chromosome in both women to reject-well, actually, this is where it gets complicated-"

"Spare me the details, Doctor. Can you fix them?" Janeway interrupted.

"Not in the sense that you're suggesting. I could stick them in a Borg maturation chamber, perhaps right next to the one that the Borg infant-now toddler-currently inhabits. I could also stimulate certain genetic strains in Lieutenant Torres, but that wouldn't help Seven. And neither would restore their lost memories." The Doctor looked a little miffed at having his explanation cut short and his bad temper was obvious in his responses, both of which he knew would be unacceptable to the Captain.

"I thought I read about an incident where officers on the Enterprise-D were turned into children and restored within a few days?" Janeway said, trying to recall details. The doctor shook his head.

"Their RVN sequences were modified in a transporter accident. It was a simple matter of restoring the links in the chain using the memory in the pattern buffers to add in the missing sequences. This is more than simple genetic information, Captain. They were aged completely in reverse. B'Elanna's aging was more rapid, as she should be a full two years older than Seven. It's baffling."

"There's no way to reverse it?"

"I can no more age them than Naomi." Kathryn dropped her head and little B'Elanna stirred, opening her eyes for a moment. Her tiny nostrils quivered, then she returned to her slumber, drool soaking the shoulder of Janeway's uniform while she stood, oblivious to it.

"How old are they?" Janeway asked.

"Developmentally? I'd say that Seven-er, Annika, is about five weeks and B'Elanna is nine weeks old." Kathryn nodded absently, her mind racing with problems and questions. Finally, one lodged itself in her mind long enough for her to ask...

"Who's going to raise them?"

Tom was out. He was too close to B'Elanna, and Kathryn was also served the unpleasant task of annulling their marriage. Neelix volunteered, but his schedule made it impossible for him to parent them full-time on his own, at their ages. Samantha Wildman stepped forward and offered to take them, with Neelix's help and the matter was solved, logically.

Kathryn believed that it would be years before she would be given the chance to tell the girls about their former lives, and as such, had recorded a personal letter, to each of them, in case she wasn't there when they reached adulthood. But the girls had a few surprises in store for the crew...

_To be continued..._


	2. When I Grow Up, Part 2

_Disclaimer: The author is not stealing from Paramount but merely 'borrowing' as described by the "Handbook of Playground Possession". A fictional document in which it states"If I was playing with it five minutes ago it's mine. If you aren't holding it tight enough it's mine. If it looks like mine it's mine. If I like it; it's mine. If it's mine; it must never in any way appear to be YOURS." Therefore, seeing Paramount as the big bully who wrote this handbook I acknowledge that only the STORY and none of the characters or ships are mine. On the other hand I haven't got any milk money so don't beat me up for playing with your toys! _

Code: T/7.  
Rating: PG  
Feedback welcome and appreciated.

**When I Grow Up, Part 2**

Annika was crying, loudly. B'Elanna was running as fast as her tiny legs could carry her, gleefully shouting "No!" over and over at the Doctor. If Kathryn hadn't been in shock, she would have laughed at the young Klingon's antics. Seven now had a full head of blonde curls and B'Elanna had black tresses all the way down to her waist. Both appeared to be about two tears old.

It was only a week and a half since the accident.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no!" B'Elanna sang, waving some medical instrument over her head, then ducking into a cabinet, as if it would hide her. Seven rubbed her chubby hands across her nose, leaving a wet trail behind and began giggling. As the Doctor tried to haul B'Elanna out of the cabinet, she suddenly flung herself from it and ran to Annika, grinning at her wildly.

"Lala!" Annika shrieked joyfully. "Lala ba!"

"Nika ba! Nika NO!" B'Elanna shrieked back, happily, grinning and flinging the medical instrument. One of her wildly flailing arms accidentally hit Seven in the nose and the little girl's eyes filled instantly with tears. A trickle of blood ran from her nose and B'Elanna stared, horrified. She immediately began adding her wails to Annika's and they stood and sat respectively, their heads thrown back in twin expressions of childhood torment.

"They have to be separated! I can't raise them both, I'm sorry!" Sam said. There was a bruise blossoming on her arm, as well as a bald patch on the side of her head. "They're too much, together. If they had grown more slowly, then maybe, but..." she looked, tearfully, at the crying children, whom the doctor was trying to calm down.

Kathryn's head exploded in pain.

"B'Elanna, NO!" Janeway yelled, grabbing the toddler away from her computer console, where she had been merrily hanging, bending the delicate device at an odd angle. She had no idea why she had agreed to take the child, she just seemed so attached to the tyke...

"Cappa, bad!" B'Elanna shrieked as she was torn away from her toy. Immediately, she threw herself on the ground and began kicking, pounding and screaming. Kathryn walked away, repeating like a mantra, in her head,'_Don't give her the satisfaction. Don't give her the satisfaction._' It worked and B'Elanna, furious that she was being ignored, stood and stomped up to stand in front of the Captain, who had calmly picked up her coffee and was reading a padd.

B'Elanna smacked the padd out of Kathryn's hand and Kathryn set her coffee cup down to pick the padd back up.

"That's not how you get my attention. Ask nicely," Janeway reprimanded gently and resumed looking at the padd, not really reading, as the child mulled over the information she had been given.

"Pay game weh me?" B'Elanna asked carefully, scratching her head. Janeway felt her heart soar in delight. It was the first time she had been able to get through to B'Elanna since the child had come to live with her three weeks ago. In that time, she had shown no signs of another rapid growth spurt and the Doctor had no idea how to predict one.

"'Please', B'Elanna. Say 'please' when asking a question." B'Elanna seemed to think about it, then responded quietly with a muttered...

"Peez?" She rolled her head around and pulled at her dress while digging her toe against the floor.

"Then, yes, I would love to play a game with you," Kathryn said, smiling. B'Elanna beamed back.

"No, Sev-Annika!" Naomi yelled, grabbing back the picture she had been drawing and accidentally knocking over the unstable younger girl. Annika wasn't impressed however, since she fell down routinely every few minutes anyway. However, the bright colors on the drawing pad were still very tempting for her and she just resumed her attempts to snatch it from who she now considered her older sister.

"Pweee, Nomee?"

"_Naomi_," the nine-year aged half Ktarian said irritably. "And no. It's mine."

"Mine?" Annika asked.

"No, not yours," Naomi said, pointing at Annika. She poked herself in the chest for emphasis. "Mine. I spent two days' replicator rations on this and so it belongs to me."

It was the wrong thing to say. Annika snatched the pens and a wadded sheet of paper, declaring "Mine!" as she gleefully captured them, then ran as fast as she could, causing Naomi to chase her out into the corridor. Annika ran as fast as her little legs would carry her, dropping pens along the way and causing Naomi to slow down to catch them.

Annika laughed until she looked over her shoulder and saw the anger on Naomi's face. Then she gave a worried cry and dropped the rest of her booty. Naomi stopped to gather it up, giving Annika enough time to find a Jeffries hatch and pull it open. As she had seen B'Elanna do with the cabinet in Sickbay, she climbed in and pulled it shut behind her, before Naomi had turned the corner. She began crawling as fast as she could.

There was a wall ahead of her, but it parted in the middle as she approached and she crossed it, just as Naomi entered the tube, shouting, "No, Annika! Come back!"

Annika did not want to go back. Naomi was mad at her and she didn't want to be with someone who was mad. She kept crawling until she reached a hole in the ground. She pondered the ladder rungs as Naomi came closer and she reached out, lost her balance and fell.

She screamed as she plummeted, hearing Naomi screaming above her. She whirled in mid-air and felt a pain shoot through her body as she landed. Naomi looked down at the unmoving form and didn't know what to do. She wasn't wearing a commbadge and there were no comm panels anywhere that she could see.

She grabbed the ladder and swung herself onto it, crawling down to Annika. She looked at the twisted little body and forced herself to swallow the pulse in her throat and check for Annika's. It was there, strong and steady. She was breathing fine and Naomi now noticed that the only thing that seemed to be out of place was her arm, which was twisted at two wrong angles.

She carefully scooped Annika into her arms and looked around. She realized what a bind she was in. She couldn't climb the ladder with Annika in her arms, nor could she crawl through the narrow tunnels inside Voyager. She laid Annika back down and began crawling down the nearest tube, hoping that it didn't take too long to get back to her.

B'Elanna gave a powerful scream and dropped the big, colorful ball she was about to toss to Captain Janeway. Kathryn noticed what was happening at once. The tiny arms were getting longer, almost before her eyes and she grabbed the child up. She bolted down the corridor, B'Elanna kicking and screaming as she went. The turbolift took a moment to arrive, then she jumped aboard and ordered it to Sickbay, not really noticing Tuvok, standing stoically in the corner.

Not until B'Elanna kicked him. Kathryn grabbed the girl in the best position she could to keep her from flailing her aching limbs into herself or her Security Chief again, while apologizing.

"Is she all right?" Tuvok asked, showing no sign of irritation or discomfort at the level of noise B'Elanna was producing or the bruise starting to swell up on his hand. He merely bent to pick up the padd she had dislodged and asked his question.

"She's having a growth spurt," Kathryn explained as the doors hissed open. She threw herself through them and ran to the medical bay, unaware that Annika was going through the same thing alone, at the bottom of a ladder in Jeffries Tube 16.

_To be continued..._


	3. When I Grow Up, Part 3

_Disclaimer: The author is not stealing from Paramount but merely 'borrowing' as described by the "Handbook of Playground Possession". A fictional document in which it states"If I was playing with it five minutes ago it's mine. If you aren't holding it tight enough it's mine. If it looks like mine it's mine. If I like it; it's mine. If it's mine; it must never in any way appear to be YOURS." Therefore, seeing Paramount as the big bully who wrote this handbook I acknowledge that only the STORY and none of the characters or ships are mine. On the other hand I haven't got any milk money so don't beat me up for playing with your toys! _

Code: T/7.  
Rating: PG  
Feedback welcome and appreciated.

**When I Grow Up, Part3**

Annika awoke to pains all over her body. She began screaming and writhing. Suddenly, Naomi was there and she felt angry. _Naomi was the reason she hurt_, her mind decided. She kicked her adoptive sister in the nose.

"Ow! Annika, calm down! I've got an anti-grav stretcher. Hold still and I'll have you in Sickbay soon." Naomi blocked the violent kicks and arranged the little girl on the stretcher, despite her thrashing about. She pushed the stretcher ahead of her, Annika's feet pointed safely away, down the Jeffries tube. Annika grabbed Naomi's hair and pulled.

"Nomee bad! Nomee make Nika owee! Nika want Lala!"

"I didn't hurt you, stupid," Naomi growled angrily. "You hurt yourself. And if you're growing, so is B'Elanna. She'll probably be in Sickbay." Naomi was glad when she could stand away from Annika's attacks. She ran to the nearest turbolift, pushing the stretcher with a screaming little Annika Hansen on board.

Kathryn paced nervously as the Doctor monitored B'Elanna's progress. The little girl was roughly four and still growing. The EMH had sedated the child to spare her the suffering of rapid aging.

The doors to Sickbay hissed open and Naomi came running in with Annika. The Doctor immediately ran over to the blonde child and examined her left arm, which appeared to have been put on backwards.

"Her arm is ruined," he muttered after scanning it. He set the growing little girl on a biobed and sedated her. "What happened?" he demanded.

"She fell," Naomi answered.

"Where?" the Doctor asked loudly.

"Innajeffriestube." Naomi muttered quickly.

"_What!_ What was she doing in a Jeffries tube?" The Doctor yelled.

"Hiding." Naomi said, looking irritated and nervous.

"Because the growth spurt happened with her bones so badly misaligned, they've grown together like that. I'm going to have to re-break her arm in two places." The doctor looked angrily at Naomi, who started crying.

"I tried to catch her! She just stole my stuff and ran for it, how was I supposed to know she'd go in a Jeffries tube while I was picking up after her? _I_ was never that dumb!" Naomi sobbed helplessly. Kathryn immediately tried to comfort her.

"I'm sorry, Naomi, I shouldn't have yelled," the doctor quickly apologized. Naomi sniffled and nodded.

"I'm a kid, too, you know." Naomi said, still pouting over being yelled at. The doctor nodded and resumed monitoring the two little patients.

Kathryn sat with B'Elanna in the recovery area while the five year-old girl was waking up. B'Elanna opened her eyes groggily and rubbed them with her little fists.

"Cappa?" B'Elanna queried.

"It's alright, B'Elanna," Kathryn said, brushing back the long hair from the half-Klingon's forehead. "It's all over now." B'Elanna closed her eyes.

"It hurt." Kathryn was amazed at how the children's minds were aged just as quickly as their bodies. She'd been having a hell of a time teaching the child Klingonese, when she herself didn't speak it. After a few days, she had turned over that task to Neelix, who was excited to do it. B'Elanna picked up on the other language as fast as she did Standard.

"I'm sorry, Lanna. But it'll be a while until it happens again."

"Promise?" B'Elanna looked up at Kathryn with her bright, dark eyes. Kathryn nodded, hoping that she was right. Sam Wildman came hurrying into Sickbay, worry etched into her features. Her hair had been cut short and styled to hide the hair that she had lost, that was only now beginning to grow back.

"Where is Annika? Is she alright?"

"She's right here." The Doctor's voice brought Sam's head around. She looked at Annika, who stood there quietly, one arm slightly shorter than the other.

"What happened?" Sam asked as she knelt in front of Annika, hugging the little girl, who threw her arms around Sam's neck.

"She broke her arm in two places, then went into a growth spurt. I repaired the damage as best I could, but I'm afraid that she lost several centimeters in the process."

"It won't affect her drastically, though, will it?" Sam asked, picking Annika up, seemingly out of habit. Annika hung on happily, apparently oblivious to the conversation. She looked over Sam's shoulder at B'Elanna and waved. B'Elanna smiled and waved back.

"No, she'll be fine." Sam nodded, relieved.

"Hi, B'Elanna!" Annika called loudly.

"Hi, Annika!" B'Elanna said back, much quieter than the boisterous blonde.

"Can you play?" Annika asked, wriggling down. B'Elanna looked up at Kathryn.

"Cappa?" B'Elanna asked.

"Sam?" Kathryn asked.

"I have to get back, I'm still on duty. Can you take them? They're probably old enough for Flotter, now." Kathryn smiled and nodded. The kids cheered happily. "I thought Naomi was here, too," Samantha added.

"She went back to her quarters," Kathryn answered. Sam frowned.

"I better check on her before I go back. Thanks, Captain." Sam smiled briefly before leaving. Kathryn looked down at her two little charges, looking back at her, expectantly.

Naomi was much relieved now that Annika was older. Although she never stopped asking _why_ about everything, at least she didn't snatch Naomi's stuff any more. Naomi even found that playing games with her was becoming fun, since she was developing a sense of the rules. Plus, Naomi almost always won.

"Kadis Kot," Naomi declared. Annika looked at the bored, as though she was amazed at losing again.

"How come you always win?" she asked, taking a bite of her tuna sandwich. Naomi looked at her own lunch and smiled. Neelix had brought them Naomi's favorite sandwiches. The door chime sounded. "Who is it?" Annika called.

"It's me!" came the obvious reply.

"Come in," Naomi said. B'Elanna hadn't been over in a while. The two had been restricted from visiting each other ever since they somehow managed to get into the transporter room and were caught about to try to transport Annika onto the bridge. Luckily, their inept attempts at operating the complex device alerted Tuvok, who sent a security team to investigate.

B'Elanna came in, carrying a small stack of padds and Annika ran into her room to get hers.

"Where's Neelix?" B'Elanna asked in her quiet voice. Naomi was always surprised at how different the two children were from their adult selves. Except when playing sports, B'Elanna was quiet and thoughtful, while Annika was loud and rambunctious except when she was plotting something.

Naomi didn't like it when Annika grew quiet.

Some things were the same, though. B'Elanna lost her temper easily and got carried away occasionally while Annika demanded exactness from people and didn't tolerate inconsistencies.

Now they were carefully laying out their padds in front of them. B'Elanna was farther ahead in Math and Literature, Annika's strengths being Science and History. Both of them were learning faster than Naomi. She felt jealous sometimes, that their minds were developing so fast that they were on the same lessons with her, while being four years younger than she was physically.

She stood and retrieved her own padds, looking over her homework carefully. The doors hissed open finally and Neelix walked in, smiling.

"Why, hello, girls! How are you doing today?"

"My arm hurts," Seven said, which was a common complaint for her. Her left arm often had aches in it, which made Naomi feel terrible.

"I'm fine," B'Elanna said.

"Well, it's good to have you back in the group, B'Elanna. I trust that you won't be breaking any more rules in the future?"

"I doubt that you should delude yourself like that," Annika said. B'Elanna stuck her tongue out.

"Now, Annika, that's not very nice," Neelix said.

"The truth rarely is."

"Be that as it may, perhaps I should teach you something about tact."

"Mrs. Wildman has already attempted to do that. I find it irrelevant."

"Why?" Neelix asked, amused at hearing something that reminded him of Seven.

"Because..." she seemed at a loss to explain. "It just is."

Neelix smiled patiently at the frustrated girl.

"Can we play a game?" B'Elanna asked.

"Jeopardy!" Annika cried, having learned the game from Naomi. Neelix smiled, it was one of his favorites, too.

"I don't feel good, B'Elanna said, suddenly. True to her word, she was becoming quite pale. Without further preamble, she fainted. Neelix immediately rushed to her and felt her forehead.

"She's burning up," he mumbled. "I better get her to Sickbay. Naomi, you watch Annika." With that, he scooped B'Elanna up in his arms and ran from the room.

_To be continued…_


	4. When I Grow Up, Part 4

_Disclaimer: The author is not stealing from Paramount but merely 'borrowing' as described by the "Handbook of Playground Possession". A fictional document which states: "If I was playing with it five minutes ago it's mine. If you aren't holding it tight enough, it's mine. If it looks like mine, it's mine. If I like it; it's mine. If it's mine; it must never in any way appear to be YOURS." Therefore, seeing Paramount as the big bully who wrote this handbook I acknowledge that only the STORY and none of the characters or ships are mine. On the other hand I haven't got any milk money so don't beat me up for playing with your toys! _

Code: T/7.  
Rating: PG  
Feedback welcome and appreciated.

**When I Grow Up, Part 4**

Kathryn came running into Sickbay, assuming that B'Elanna was having another growth spurt. Instead, she found her adoptive daughter lying on a biobed, wan and sickly. She brushed the girl's hair back from her forehead, feeling how hot and clammy her skin was. The doctor came out of his office and smiled at her.

"Don't worry," he said. "She only has _rop'ngor_." Kathryn raised her eyebrows. "It's a common childhood ailment among Klingons. It's like measles, only with a much lower mortality rate. I've already treated it and she should be fine in a day or so."

"How did she catch Klingon Measles all the way out here?" Kathryn demanded.

"Fairly easily. Only Klingons are susceptible to _rop'ngor_," the doctor looked thoughtful for a moment. "Well, Bolians can catch them too, so you might want to keep her in your quarters for a week, until the contagion has passed. Bolians don't react to it as well as Klingons. Anyway," the EMH continued when he saw Kathryn's stare, "As I was saying, any of the crew could have been in contact with a Klingon whose child had it and so was carrying the disease, and picked it up without ever knowing it. You, yourself could have. Then, B'Elanna picked up the germ and caught the disease."

"But if it was me, then wouldn't she have already caught it?"

"Yes. So, more than likely, it wasn't you. But tracking the perpetrator isn't important. All she needs is a day of bed rest and liquids and she should be fine." Kathryn put her hand back on B'Elanna's forehead. It wasn't as warm now, although it was still warmer than even B'Elanna's normal. B'Elanna opened her eyes.

"Should I leave her here?" B'Elanna turned her head away, closing her eyes.

"If you like. But there's no reason that she can't go to her own bed." Kathryn nodded and scooped B'Elanna up. The little Klingon looked at her and smiled weakly.

"Come on, my little hothead," Kathryn teased gently, causing B'Elanna's smile to widen. She carried her off to their quarters.

"I don't want to hear it," Kathryn said, rubbing the bridge of her nose. She looked at her now nine-year aged charge and frowned. "Naomi will be purple for weeks. What on earth made you think that tampering with the sonic shower was acceptable?"

"NotonEarth," B'Elanna muttered.

"Don't mumble. You and Annika are not to play together until your next growth spurt!" Janeway exploded.

"But-but it was just a joke. Annika and I were bored and Naomi was being bossy-"

"So you _dyed_ her PURPLE? If you're lucky, it'll come off her skin. But _you_, young lady are not allowed to use the holodeck until she's back to her normal colour and _don't even THINK of helping her along_!"

"That's not fair! Naomi said it was her favorite colour!"

"That doesn't mean that she wanted to _be_ that colour!"

"You're mean! I bet that Annika isn't restricted from the holodeck. I bet Sam forgives her and-"

"You wanna bet?" Samantha growled at Annika. "I'll take odds that B'Elanna is just as grounded as you are. And if you keep this up, I'll make it longer."

"You're just being hard on me because Naomi is your real daughter. You don't care as much about me!" Annika yelled and ran into her room, knocking Naomi over on the way.

"Ow," Naomi said, rubbing her dark pink arm. "You don't have to be so harsh, Mom. It's coming off," Naomi said, holding out her arms for inspection. "The stuff the Doctor gave me is working just fine."

"That's not the point, Naomi. And besides, he said that there's nothing he can do about your hair, short of cutting it off and stimulating its growth." Naomi went to the mirror over the washbasin and looked at her hair.

"I dunno, I kinda like it..."

"Does the captain know that you're here?" Annika hissed from around the corner.

"Hun-uh. What about Sam and Naomi?"

"Nope. So what did you get?" Annika asked and sat down. B'Elanna sat down with her back against the wall and replied to Annika, who she couldn't see.

"I'm restricted from the holodeck until Naomi's a normal colour again. What about you?"

"I'm grounded for a month, not even allowed to leave our quarters for a week."

"Why are grown-ups so mean?" B'Elanna asked.

"I dunno. I hope I'm not that way when I grow up." Annika stared at the wall across from her, that she was facing. "How come Naomi doesn't grow like we do?"

"Maybe she's stunted. Or maybe she just doesn't grow like that anymore."

"Maybe we're weird?" Annika said, making it a question.

"Maybe. What do you want to be when you grow up?" B'Elanna asked, curling her knees up to her chest.

"I dunno. Maybe I'll be captain," Annika answered, laughing. B'Elanna laughed, too.

"Are you going to join Starfleet? Like Icheb?"

"Icheb's BOR-ing," Annika said, wrinkling her nose. "And he's got that funny thing on his face. What is that, anyway?"

"He was Borg. Remember the Borg?" When Annika didn't answer, B'Elanna tried to prompt her. "Recent Alpha Quadrant History-The Borg attack, Wolf 359? Haven't you done the history assignment yet? You're usually done way before me."

"The Borg give me nightmares, so I didn't want to think about them. Icheb doesn't look like one of them."

"He had all his implants removed, I asked him. But he didn't really want to talk about it, it seemed to make him uncomfortable."

"I'd have to join Starfleet if I wanted to be a captain. What about you?"

"I wanna build stuff. I like technical manuals and things and you know how I love breaking things and putting them back together."

"You're really good at it. Maybe you should be an Engineer."

"You're good at science. Captain Janeway was a science officer before she was Captain, so maybe you could be that."

"Maybe, I don't know. Would you ever want to be planetside?"

"Hun-uh."

"Me, either. I like the stars." They sat there for a moment, quiet, then Annika broke the silence. "Well, I better get back."

"Yeah, me, too. Bye, Nika."

"By, Lala," Annika said, grinning.

"Something's been bothering me," Kathryn said, as B'Elanna recovered from her most recent growth spurt, which left her at about twelve years old. Her hair was once again down to her ankles and the doctor was cutting her nails before she could bite them off.

"Yes?" the Doctor asked.

"May we speak in private for a moment?" The Doctor nodded and followed Janeway away from B'Elanna, who immediately began chewing off her nails. Annika was sitting next to her, cutting her own.

"Are these spurts ever going to stop? What would happen if they just-kept growing?"

"They would grow old and die, only much faster," the EMH answered, honestly. Janeway looked at him, intensely.

"Can you find a way to stop it?"

"I've been trying. I predicted this problem with their first rapid growth spurt, but didn't really worry about it until their second. I don't know how close I am to developing a way to stop their growth, since I don't know what's causing it. I mean, I know what causes it, but I don't know the trigger," he quickly corrected.

"What causes it?"

"Somatotrophin. It causes all growth in carbon-based life forms. But more than that-something is causing their brains to mature as well, and that is what I have yet to understand. I believe it has something to do with the temporal flux they experience when a growth spurt initiates. I've been working on a way to safely expose them to a tachyon field, but so far, I've been unsuccessful."

"Keep trying, I don't want to lose them."

"Neither do I, Captain."

_To be continued… _


	5. When I Grow Up, Part 5

_Disclaimer: The author is not stealing from Paramount but merely 'borrowing' as described by the "Handbook of Playground Possession", a fictional document which states: "If I was playing with it five minutes ago: it's mine. If you aren't holding it tight enough: it's mine. If it looks like mine: it's mine. If I like it; it's mine. If it's mine; it must never in any way appear to be YOURS." Therefore, seeing Paramount as the big bully who wrote this handbook I acknowledge that only the STORY and none of the characters or ships are mine. On the other hand I haven't got any milk money so don't beat me up for playing with your toys! _

Code: T/7.  
Rating: PG  
Feedback welcome and appreciated.

**When I Grow Up, Part 5 **

Annika was walking home early from her class with Icheb and B'Elanna on Engineering Principles and Practical Application, under Chief of Engineering, Lt. Carey. She had forgotten her text padd and was returning to her quarters to retrieve it. She walked into her room and dug under her bed, assuming that it had been nicked underneath. She found B'Elanna's toy targh, Toby, that the half-Klingon had loaned her the week before and set it on the bed, making a mental note to return it.

The front doors hissed open and Annika heard voices coming from the living room section of the quarters. She paused to listen, ignoring the fact that eavesdropping had gotten her into trouble in the past.

"...think they're old enough?"

"No, Kathryn, not yet. I know that they're both extremely bright," Annika grinned at her adoptive mother's praise. "But both of them are still emotionally immature. They're only twelve, after all."

"I know, Sam, I just hate this feeling that I'm lying to them. Especially B'Elanna. Their personalities aren't developing the same-"

"There's nothing we can do about that! What would you have us do? Overwhelm B'Elanna with Klingon tradition, abandon her to some other member of the crew and alienate her?"

"Of course not! Nor would I give Seven-I mean, Annika, to the Borg. They both had traumatic childhoods; I know that. Four months isn't much of a childhood, either, but at least it's been a good one."

Annika looked around her room. _Seven?_ Why did everyone start to call her that, before remembering her name? _The Borg?_ Had she been a different person? What had happened? The Captain's words had confirmed that she and B'Elanna aged differently from other children, but hadn't given a satisfying answer as to why. She listened in again, her mind still reeling in shock.

"...to take apart all that stuff in Cargo Bay Two. Now that we don't have any Borg passengers?" Samantha was asking.

"We don't know what might happen along the way. I've had all the alcoves deactivated for now, but since they aren't in the way or expending any energy at the moment, I see no reason to dismantle them."

"Seven was the only one who used them. Annika will never have any need of them. Are you planning on rescuing more drones from the collective?"

"Not planning on it, Sam, but you can never tell. I'll see you later. Tell Annika that B'Elanna is allowed to play again. That still feels a little odd to say."

"I know. Don't worry, I'll tell her. Thanks for stopping by, Kathryn."

"My pleasure, Sam." Annika listened as the doors hissed shut behind the Captain and listened for where Samantha went in the quarters. If she went into her room, Annika could sneak out, if not... The couch creaked and Annika made up her mind.

"Cargo Bay Two?" she whispered to herself, then raised her voice to a level that would activate the computer, but not alert Sam. "Computer, initiate site to site transport of Annika Hansen to Cargo Bay Two."

"Unable to comply. Cargo Bay Two is restricted access. You are not authorized to enter it."

"Then beam me to deck four!" A tingling spread throughout her body and a second later, she was standing in a corridor. She quickly scanned a nearby wall to see where the computer had deposited her and proceeded towards the restricted cargo bay, calling up the maps of Voyager in her mind.

She stood outside the doors to the cargo bay and pried off a nearby access panel, wishing she had B'Elanna with her. B'Elanna was much better than she at getting into places that they didn't belong. Within a few minutes, though, she had successfully overridden the restrictions and snuck into the cargo bay, unaware that the computer informed Captain Janeway that she had entered the room.

Kathryn was picking up B'Elanna from her lesson when her commbadge chirped.

_"Unauthorized access in Cargo Bay Two: Annika Hansen." _The computer relayed through the little device, as programmed. Kathryn blanched and immediately took off for the nearest turbolift, forgetting that B'Elanna was right behind her.

"Janeway to Ensign Wildman, Annika's in Cargo Bay two!"

_"Acknowledged, I'm on my way. Wildman, out." _B'Elanna followed quietly behind Kathryn, ducking discreetly into the turbolift with her and being careful to remain out of sight, knowing she would be banished to her room if she was discovered.

The lift doors opened, spilling them out into a corridor, where they broke into a run...

Annika looked around the Cargo Bay until she found them. Borg alcoves, all in a row, dark and foreboding. She walked up to the nearest one and tapped the control panel next to it. The alcove whirred to life, casting an eerie green glow on her face in the dark gloom of the almost empty cargo hold.

Annika stepped boldly into it, trembling from head to toe. She touched the far wall, examining it, facing her fears. She turned around and prepared to walk away when she felt a scan overtake her body. Immediately, she felt as though a million bugs were crawling under her skin. She tried to scratch them off and the pain started.

A searing piece of metal broke through her jaw and she screamed. She put her hands up to her head and came away with chunks of hair in her hands as her skin necrotized. She tried everything she could to pull off the implants as they sprouted, to no avail. Faster than thought, her body was taken over by the dormant nanoprobes, brought back to life through the interface with their familiar technology.

The Borg once again assimilated Annika Hansen, amidst her own screams. Albeit ignorant, it was a triumphant day for the mechanical species.

Kathryn and Samantha reached the Cargo Bay almost at the same time. The same horror greeted their eyes as they rushed in. Annika stood, completely transformed into a drone. Luckily, this time, she retained her human eye, though the ocular implant remained above her eye, waiting for her Borg enhanced vision to be added. The altered twelve year-old girl was the worst horror Kathryn felt she had ever seen. She had been so careful to give the girl a normal life this time...

"State my designation," the drone ordered, looking at Kathryn, Sam and B'Elanna.

"Annika?" B'Elanna asked. Both Sam and Kathryn spun.

"Get her out of here," Kathryn ordered. Sam tried, but the adolescent Klingon was not compliant. She struggled with Samantha until the Ensign had to wrestle her to the ground. Sam tried to drag B'Elanna out, but was only successful to the point of the doors, where B'Elanna clung defiantly. Sam had to use her entire body to keep the child from running to her friend.

"State my designation," the drone once again declared and Kathryn complied.

"Annika Hansen." The captain fixed a defiant glare at the young drone.

"Incorrect format. Designation must be in numerical form." Kathryn stared at the girl, unable to move, wishing for the impossible, wishing to restore Annika before she had to answer that question. "State my designation."

"Annika Hansen," Kathryn answered in a firm tone.

"Am I defective?" the drone asked, emotionless.

"No," Kathryn almost shouted, terrified of what the drone might do if she was told that she wasn't normal.

"Then state my designation." The drone waited patiently.

"Seven of Nine, tertiary adjunct to Unimatrix Zero One," Kathryn whispered. The drone nodded, then stepped forward, raising her had. Kathryn stepped backward and demanded, "What are you doing?"

"Assimilating my instructions."

"Not from me, you're not!" Kathryn growled. The drone stopped. She turned and walked over to her alcove and held out her hand near the control panel. Assimilation tubules snaked out from her hand and Kathryn drew her phaser. "Cease that activity at once!" Seven didn't respond. "Comply!" Kathryn yelled and when Seven didn't, she fired.

B'Elanna screamed at the top of her young lungs and began spitting curses and epithets at the captain.

"Watch your language!" Kathryn yelled, spinning.

"Bloodless _petaQ_! You lying, sneaking-" B'Elanna growled, then started screaming again. "Not now, not now, not now!" She screamed, holding her arm. Kathryn realized what was going on and agreed with the angry young Klingon.

"Medical Emergency in Cargo Bay Two! Four to beam directly to Sickbay!"

_To be continued… _


	6. When I Grow Up, Part 6

_Disclaimer: The author is not stealing from Paramount but merely 'borrowing' as described by the "Handbook of Playground Possession". A fictional document in which it states"If I was playing with it five minutes ago: it's mine. If you aren't holding it tight enough: it's mine. If it looks like mine: it's mine. If I like it: it's mine. If it's mine; it must never in any way appear to be YOURS." Therefore, seeing Paramount as the big bully who wrote this handbook I acknowledge that only the STORY and none of the characters or ships are mine. On the other hand I haven't got any milk money so don't beat me up for playing with your toys! _

Code: T/7.  
Rating: PG  
Feedback welcome and appreciated.

**When I Grow Up, Part 6**

"I was able to once again remove almost all of her Borg systems. Unfortunately..."

"Why does there always have to be a but?" Kathryn interrupted. "Why can't they both just start over?"

"They _have_," the doctor protested. "Except for the assimilation tubules in her left arm and the ocular implant, she has no Borg systems this time."

"How can those systems function without her cortical array?"

"Well... she does have some remaining cortical implants. But the emotional inhibitor is gone, as well as the core, and most of the systems. It's now just like Icheb's. She has nanoprobes, but her own brain is controlling their function, for the most part."

"Just like in Icheb. So she still won't have to regenerate?"

"No, and she'll have the benefits of the eidetic memory storage, although it is slightly damaged from the growth spurt; enhanced hearing and visual acuity, without loss of normal eyesight, as she had before; and superior strength and immunity to infection. If she hadn't undergone the developmental increase, I could have removed every Borg system from her body, but as it was, she basically aged herself into them. Except... the Borg technology couldn't adapt fast enough and I was able to remove more than before."

"Will she be able to have children?" Kathryn asked quietly.

"Yes. Nothing else about her will be affected beyond the obvious cosmetic changes to her arm, which has been repaired to its original state before the accident when she was younger and the ocular implant, which I can remove, but she asked me not to."

"Why?" Kathryn asked incredulously.

"She said that she likes it, that it's... pretty. It can be removed when she's older if she so wishes, but for now, she sees it only as an adornment, like jewelry." Janeway shook her head.

"Teenagers," she mumbled. "I suppose I can expect this from B'Elanna as well."

"Acts meant to distinguish themselves as individuals often occur during this period of life, yes."

"I thought that teenagers usually just tried to fit in with each other. I know that I did," Janeway said, surprised.

"Well, there are always trend setters. And even when you were trying to fit in, I'll bet you still did things to distinguish yourself from your peers."

"You know what? You're right. But I'm not telling you what it was," Kathryn added when she saw the doctor's curious look. She smiled at him.

"Can we go now?" B'Elanna asked with a growl. She walked into the doctor's office from the recovery area with a scowl plastered on her face. Kathryn felt her headache resurfacing.

"You may go ahead to our quarters, I'll be along shortly." B'Elanna nodded and ran her fingers through her wild hair, tugging at a tangle as she left. "No parent should have to experience the terrible twos and a teenager in the same year. It's inhumane," Kathryn joked, earning a chuckle from the doctor. "Have you made any progress on that tachyon array yet?"

"No. I've been testing it on Mr. Neelix's supply of beetles, but he's been protesting that he won't have enough to pollinate, so I will have to stop soon. My holodeck tests were just as unsuccessful, unfortunately.

"The tachyons travel so quickly that I must find a way to phase them out of normal space long enough for them to pass through the girls, or else, they do quite a bit of damage. So far, I've only been able to perform the phase transition for point-oh-three seconds at a time. The phased tachyons pass safely through the subject, but if they rematerialize during the process..."

"I can see why this is dangerous. You keep working on it, Doctor. Lt. Carey and Ensign Vorik are your Engineers on this project, are they not?"

"Yes. It's times like these that I wish B'Elanna were an adult again. She'd have already solved the problem, I'm certain." The doctor said, sitting down at his desk, sighing in frustration. Kathryn smiled at him and put a hand on his shoulder, reassuringly.

"I'm certain that you'll solve the problem in time." He nodded and she turned and left Sickbay, to go back to her quarters.

Or what was left of them. B'Elanna had been busy while Kathryn was gone. All the decorations from her room had been torn down and replaced, the children's clothing discarded for Janeway to clean up. Kathryn immediately squelched the anger rising inside and reminded herself that B'Elanna was still a child, and teenagers were prone to acting out.

_Especially _fifteen year-old girls.

Kathryn calmly picked up the pile of trash and clothing and walked into B'Elanna's room, where she was immediately yelled at.

"Hey! Can't you ask permission to enter my room?" B'Elanna growled. Kathryn raised her eyebrows and dumped the junk on the floor. "Hey!" B'Elanna yelled again.

"It is your mess and you are old enough to clean up after yourself. If you put it back in the living section, I shall return it to you again. But if I have to do this again, then you will not leave our quarters until every inch is spotless and I feel that you can behave yourself. Is that understood?"

B'Elanna glared at Janeway from behind her padd. "You're not my mother." Kathryn felt as though she had been slapped, but didn't reveal it.

"No, I'm not. But I am your legal guardian and the adult who is responsible for you. And no, you are not old enough for your own quarters so don't even think of asking." _'How did she know I was gonna ask?' _B'Elanna thought, continuing to glare. She didn't know why, but Kathryn just annoyed her immensely at that moment.

"Whatever," she growled, hating that she didn't have a better retort. Kathryn walked over to sit on the bed next to B'Elanna, much to the girl's irritation.

"B'Elanna, I don't want to be adversaries."

"Then you shouldn't have lied, should you?"

"I didn't lie. I just didn't believe that you were old enough to-"

"To know who I am? Don't you think I felt weird, growing up so fast and obviously different? Didn't I have the right to know that I had once had another life, another childhood? Just leave me the hell alone, I hate you right now." B'Elanna spun away, hiding the tears in her eyes.

"You do have the right to know, B'Elanna. I just-"

"I said LEAVE ME ALONE!" B'Elanna shrieked in fury and Kathryn stood and walked to the doorway, where she turned around to face her ward.

"You were a daughter to me, even before. I loved you almost the same as I do now. If you ever want me to tell you anything about the woman you were, just ask me." B'Elanna turned around.

"You don't get it do you? I don't CARE! I can find out what I want on my own, I don't need you're help so-" The words that came out of the girl's mouth at that moment, Kathryn knew that B'Elanna hadn't ever heard come from her mouth.

"Where did you learn that kind of language!" Kathryn demanded. B'Elanna smirked.

"Just because I was young doesn't mean I was deaf."

"I never said anything like that!"

"Doesn't mean that your precious crew was as virtuous as you, _Captain_." B'Elanna said, spitting out the last word.

"Yes, but they didn't use that language to my face. And you won't be seeing my face until tomorrow, when you will apologize if you want to leave your room. Good-night." And with that, Kathryn stepped back and let the doors slide closed, entering a locking protocol on the door. B'Elanna could access the bathroom, so Kathryn locked the outside door to that room as well, leaving B'Elanna with quite a bit of time to cogitate.

"Annika isn't here, B'Elanna, I'm sorry. She's with Icheb." Sam said. B'Elanna glared at the deck plating.

"She's been spending a lot of time with him," B'Elanna complained softly. Samantha smiled comfortingly.

"I'm sure that she's not deliberately ignoring you, B'Elanna. But girls your age start noticing boys..." B'Elanna's head shot up.

"You mean they're dating?" B'Elanna felt a surge of unreasonable jealousy speed through her body.

"I'm sure it's not that serious. It'll be over before you know it. Icheb is almost eighteen years old. You two are the only girls young enough for him, but you're still a little too young."

"Not for long," B'Elanna muttered.

"Maybe not, and maybe you'll be too old for him before you know it." B'Elanna looked up and shrugged.

"Thanks. Would you tell her I stopped by, please?" Sam nodded. B'Elanna turned and left. She growled to herself about dating and boys and how she didn't need any of it. She wondered if she had gotten to Icheb first, if Annika would be jealous of her. Maybe she could get her back that way, if they had something in common again.

The last thing that they had talked about had been Annika's assimilation. She kept insisting that she wanted to be called Seven, now, since that had been her name before. B'Elanna had been hurt and felt so left out that she asked Annika to assimilate her. 'Seven' had laughed and told her not to be stupid. That she didn't know anything.

"Ow!" B'Elanna exclaimed as her fist made contact with the wall. She began rubbing it and then moved her had to her hairline, where she had a _gorch _growing. She scratched at it irritably and it shrunk a little. She played with her hair as she walked, hiding the blemish from sight. Her hair had been growing almost an inch a day and becoming increasingly wilder.

She had looked up _Jak'tahla _when Kathryn had muttered something about it and didn't like what it said. She was _not_ moody or overly aggressive, she didn't care what any textbooks or people said. She was perfectly normal and the same as ever.

Everyone else was just being condescending and irritating.

She knew from breaking into her records that she had been married before the 'accident' had made her a kid again. That fascinated her. She had been expecting a baby, which had been lost in the age regression. This made her a little sad, but didn't really affect her, as it seemed as though it had happened to someone else.

She now knew that that was why Lt. Paris had avoided her and refused to let her attend the piloting lessons with Icheb. He had been her husband. Which was weirder to her than anything else she had been through. It just didn't seem real that she had been married.

An idea suddenly came to her, regarding who she could date to make Annika-Seven jealous. It seemed fated when Tom Paris rounded the corner of the hall. He looked very carefully away from her and she confronted him.

"Hi, Tom," she said, lowering her voice a little, trying to make it sound like it had in her older self's logs. Tom froze and he slowly looked at her.

"Hello, B'Elanna." His voice was formal and a little cold. She narrowed her eyes and walked up to him.

"You avoid me." She stated with calculating candor. He backed up as she advanced towards him. He ended up with his back against the wall and she stopped. "Because I was your wife." Tom narrowed his eyes.

"So the captain told you," he said, quietly. B'Elanna snorted derisively.

"Her? She's done nothing but lie to me my entire life...well, since the accident, anyway. No, I accessed my old personal files, they _were_ mine, after all, I had every right. Do you hate me?" Tom looked surprised.

"No, why would you ask that?"

"Because I lost our daughter. And your wife. I would hate me," she said softly.

"I could never hate you, B'Elanna. I... the topic's just a little sore for me."

"Do you still want me?" B'Elanna purred. Tom looked at the fifteen-year-old in shock.

"What! You're a little girl!"

"Not so little any more, Tom. And there's no telling when I might have my next growth spurt." B'Elanna stepped toward him, trying to move seductively. "Besides, I hear that you're not so discriminating, that you'll-" Tom's jaw dropped. Even B'Elanna, as he knew her, would never talk like that. Those words were so obscene that he couldn't imagine where she had picked them up.

"And I thought _I_ had a dirty mouth," he said. "I don't know where you get your information, but that's just not true. And I definitely draw the line at little girls."

"I'm not a little girl, I'm a young Klingon woman," B'Elanna growled, slamming Tom against the wall, pinning him with all her adolescent strength.

"Yeah, it doesn't matter. I don't know why you're behaving this way, but even I'm not so lecherous as to _fuck_ a child," he growled back, shoving her away. She was so confused and shocked at his cursing her back that he almost walked away unscathed.

Almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades, not with enraged Klingon girls.

"I don't even want the details, Mr. Paris," the EMH said. "But as soon as your voice resumes its normal pitch, you can tell me who assaulted you.

"That's okay," Tom wheezed. "Just... tell me everything's still working?"

"Well, in a week it will, but I wouldn't press my luck before that. Now, I hate to ask this, considering, but could you hop up onto the biobed so I can... well, I think you know." Tom looked at the bed like it was death.

"Can't I keep standing?"

"...assaulting an officer, sexual harassment-"

"So throw me in the brig, what do I care?" B'Elanna growled. Kathryn stopped her retort and just turned and walked away. She couldn't control herself if she kept talking to the obstinate child, she was certain of it. It didn't comfort her to remember the quiet, studious child B'Elanna had been just two months earlier.

She started to leave their quarters when she heard the soft sobbing. Immediately, she was sitting by B'Elanna's bed, hugging the weeping girl. B'Elanna threw her arms around her surrogate parent and clutched her like a security blanket.

"Nika doesn't talk to me any more she's with Icheb and they're dating and never invite me along and I got jealous and I didn't mean to hurt him I just figured that he'd be a good choice since we had been married and I don't hate you but I'm losing my best friend," B'Elanna sobbed out in one breath.

"Shh.. Breathe, B'Elanna. I know that you don't hate me and I'm sorry that I kept things from you. I was just trying to be a good parent. And I'm sure that if you talk to Annika-"

"No, she doesn't wanna talk, she thinks I'm stupid and wants me to call her Seven and she used to be my Nika!" Kathryn rocked B'Elanna, making soothing sounds and stroking the long, wild hair. "I love her but now she loves Icheb and it's not fair because she was my friend first and now she has no time for me because I'm not Borg."

"Hey, Lanna. Don't be so afraid, Icheb could never replace you in Annika or Seven's heart. I promise. She's just going through a phase."

"Well, it's a stupid phase and she's stupid and Icheb is a _PetaQ_!" Kathryn repressed a laugh at the petulant tone, knowing that B'Elanna would not appreciate being laughed at. She felt lucky just to have B'Elanna confiding in her again. She knew it wouldn't last...

_To be continued… _


	7. When I Grow Up, Part 7

_Disclaimer: The author is not stealing from Paramount but merely 'borrowing' as described by the "Handbook of Playground Possession". A fictional document in which it states"If I was playing with it five minutes ago: it's mine. If you aren't holding it tight enough: it's mine. If it looks like mine: it's mine. If I like it: it's mine. If it's mine; it must never in any way appear to be YOURS." Therefore, seeing Paramount as the big bully who wrote this handbook I acknowledge that only the STORY and none of the characters or ships are mine. On the other hand I haven't got any milk money so don't beat me up for playing with your toys! _

Code: T/7.  
Rating: PG  
Feedback welcome and appreciated.

**When I Grow Up, Part7**

"There just... has always been something off about this relationship. Beyond the age difference."

"I know, Seven." Icheb said, lowering his head. "I mean, kissing you is like kissing a relative. It doesn't feel right."

"Agreed. Perhaps it was my previous status as your guardian." Icheb looked up. "I will miss the musicals," she said quietly.

"We don't have to stop seeing them together, we'll just do it as friends." Seven smiled then.

"That is acceptable. Good-night, Icheb." Seven stepped through her door as Icheb responded.

"Good-night, Seven." When Seven walked through the doors, Samantha greeted her nervously.

"Hi, Annika. How was your date?" Seven glared at Sam and refused to answer. She walked past, heading for her room, still not having forgiven her adoptive mother for keeping her in the dark. "B'Elanna came by."

"Thank you for delivering the message, Mrs. Wildman," Seven said coldly and walked into her room. She lay down in her bed and stared at the ceiling.

"Computer, begin recording personal log, Annika... Seven of Nine."

"Recording."

"What did I do to deserve this?" she began, her voice trembling. "If B'Elanna is only going to grow to hate me, should I continue our friendship? I have the ill-fortune to be supplied with foreknowledge of our future. Of _my_ future. It can only end in heartbreak. Our records on this ship as adults show that we were unable to work together without having serious altercations. B'Elanna and I already fight sometimes.

"Though I love her, still. I wonder; can I accept that I have lost my Lala, in favor of the growing B'Elanna? She grows to be more as I remember her older self with each passing day. So, she will grow to hate me once again. Last week she had an altercation with Lieutenant Paris, sexually harassing and assaulting him. She doesn't know that I know, as I learned it from overhearing a conversation Mr. Paris was having with Lieutenant Kim.

"He didn't speak ill of her, but merely commented that he felt it was worse to have lost her and have her still be here than to have lost her to death. But he mentioned that he was glad she was alive, he was just tormented. Is that my fate as well? To lose my Lala, my B'Elanna? I have no one in whom I can confide my feelings, as Samantha Wildman has displayed her lack of trustworthiness, raising me in ignorance of my past.

"Admittedly, as a child I would not have comprehended the facts as I do now, but she would have denied me this knowledge until I was even older. She wished to keep me as her second daughter, which was and is unfair to me. I do not speak with her anymore, except necessary pleasantries." Seven sighed. "Icheb and I have ended our dating experiment. We are remaining friends. End log." Seven lay in bed afterwards, staring at the ceiling.

Samantha covered her face in her hands and cried. She couldn't take Seven's coldness, it broke her heart. Especially when she remembered the bright-eyed little girl she had been, so sweet, innocent, questioning and... Sam stood and walked into her bedroom, locking the door behind her so neither of the girls would see her crying. She didn't know that it was too late and Naomi already had.

"You spoiled BRAT!" Naomi shrieked, throwing herself at Seven. Seven, still unused to being bigger than Naomi, cowered away and shoved the smaller girl off her, onto the floor.

"What is your problem?" Seven asked.

"You, _Seven_!You've hurt Mom! You bitch!" Naomi slapped Seven as hard as she could, shocking the older girl into complete stillness. "You're the one who's supposed to be growing up so fast, but I haven't seen it yet. And if acting like you is what I have to look forward to, I hope I never grow up!"

"Leave my room!" Seven commanded, lowering her voice dangerously.

"If you don't straighten up, you'll never sleep again, I promise you. And if you _ever_ make my mother cry again," Naomi hissed, "I will kill you." Naomi glared at Seven dangerously for a moment, then turned and stalked out of the older girl's room. Seven put her hand to the cheek that Naomi had struck, tears rolling down her face.

She tried to say 'Computer begin log' but all that came out was a muffled sob. Seven buried her head in her pillow and let out shrieks of hurt and fury, then cried her eyes out, the sound never heard by anyone else in the Wildman quarters.

_To be continued… _


	8. When I Grow Up, Part 8

_Disclaimer: The author is not stealing from Paramount but merely 'borrowing' as described by the "Handbook of Playground Possession". A fictional document in which it states"If I was playing with it five minutes ago: it's mine. If you aren't holding it tight enough: it's mine. If it looks like mine: it's mine. If I like it: it's mine. If it's mine; it must never in any way appear to be YOURS." Therefore, seeing Paramount as the big bully who wrote this handbook I acknowledge that only the STORY and none of the characters or ships are mine. On the other hand I haven't got any milk money so don't beat me up for playing with your toys! _

Code: T/7.  
Rating: PG  
Feedback welcome and appreciated.

**When I Grow Up, Part 8**

"You avoid spending any time with me, you spend it all with Icheb and then when things don't work out, you expect me to behave as if nothing happened? You're so selfish, Annika. Why don't you go to hell?" Seven burst into tears and ran from B'Elanna. "Wait!" B'Elanna yelled. She didn't want to make Annika cry, but she was so angry. Seven stopped and turned around, tears running down her face.

"I think that you have made your feelings quite clear, B'Elanna." She turned to leave and B'Elanna tackled her. She pinned her to the ground, pulling Annika's arm behind her and digging her knee into the other girl's back.

"Say you're sorry. Say you screwed up." '_Say you love me,_' B'Elanna added silently.

"I'm sorry," Seven sobbed. "I screwed up. You're my best friend and I've treated you like nothing because I've been so absorbed with my own self-pity." B'Elanna let go, but Seven didn't move, just laid there, crying. B'Elanna grabbed her and pulled the sobbing blonde into her lap. Seven was finally the same height as she and it wasn't as easy as it had been when they were younger and B'Elanna was taller. The Klingon teenager rocked her friend and tried to calm them both down. That's when it happened.

B'Elanna felt as if all her joints were aching unbearably and her limbs felt as though they were being pulled to the breaking point. Also, her head throbbed and her hearts sped up to triple their normal rhythm. Somehow she managed to tap the commbadge she wore everywhere now.

"Medical emergency, B'Elanna Torres and Annika Hansen," she whimpered as she felt Annika going rigid in her lap. Within seconds, two crewmen were there with antigravity stretchers. They were loaded up and taken to Sickbay, their pain becoming unbearable.

"Seventeen?" Kathryn repeated. "Why is Seven only sixteen?"

"Their growth patterns are beginning to take on different rates. Within the month, B'Elanna will undoubtedly reach eighteen years development."

"Well, that would put them back at the age difference they had before," Samantha said. The EMH nodded.

"Also, I think that I may have a way to stop it permanently, the next time they grow."

"Should we let them reach the ages they were before?" Samantha asked.

"Let them have a few extra years," Kathryn said. "We'll ask them when they want to have their growth stopped. But anyone would like to be able to take a few years off."

"That is acceptable," Seven said, coming into the office. "You were the one who believed that we should be told sooner, Captain, and I wanted to thank you. At least _some_ people," she shot Samantha a look, "wish for us to know who we are."

"Annika-" Samantha began, but Seven interrupted.

"I wish to be called by my previous designation-Seven. Also, I am sorry that I have upset you, but you injured me first." Sam looked at the teenaged Borg girl and nodded.

"Truce?" Seven nodded and Sam smiled.

"B'Elanna!" The half-Klingon girl spun and looked at Icheb, startled by his hail.

"Hi, Icheb. What d'ya want?" She repressed her impatience and dislike of the boy, reminding herself that he had done nothing wrong. '_Nothing but monopolize Seven's time_,' her inner voice growled.

"I wished to ask you to a social event?" The boy said as he slowed to a walk, then stood in front of her.

"What event?" B'Elanna asked, puzzled. Neelix hadn't been talking about any crew events. He had assured her that she would be allowed to attend the next one, since she was old enough now.

"A private one. Perhaps a musical? Seven was fond of them, although I must admit to being ignorant of your own tastes." '_Seven_.'

"Ignorant is right, Borg boy. Sod off," she growled, using the word she had learned to be more polite than 'piss off,' which she had been reprimanded for using. Or at least, she hadn't gotten in trouble for using it yet. She turned away from him and the next thing she knew, she was being shoved against a wall.

"Perhaps you wish me to be more forceful?" He asked, his face a mask of concentration as he held her, pinned. He wasn't as strong as the typical Borg and she was able to shove him away.

"Just what the hell do you think you're doing?" She yelled, earning a confused look from the young man.

"I recalled Klingon mating practices in my cultural database, and they indicated that you might respond better to-"

"Mating practices? You want to mate with me?" B'Elanna raged. Icheb looked definitely uncertain now and he took a step back.

"I did not mean-that is I would want to take things more slowly-" B'Elanna realized that she had the advantage and she advanced on him. She pinned Icheb against the opposite wall without laying a finger on him.

"Never let a Klingon smell your fear," she growled. She put one arm on either side of his head and he gulped audibly. "Don't think that just because you're the only male my age that you have any chance with me at all. Not after you stole Annika from me, turned her into your precious Seven," she spat out vehemently, her voice low and dangerous.

"I did not-"

"Don't lie to me!" B'Elanna yelled, at the end of her tether. "Every minute that she used to spend with me was spent with you and now that she's rejected you, you are under the mistaken impression that I have any desire to-" Icheb interrupted her angrily.

"If you would quit spitting in my face for a moment and allow me to speak, I would inform you that it was a mutual decision between Seven and myself to terminate our dating experiment, since I still see her as my mother!" He nearly screamed the last words back at her and her temper faltered.

"Your mother?" B'Elanna asked, confused.

"My mother. You see; my own parents used me as a weapon against the Borg. Seven of Nine, with the assistance of Voyager, of course, rescued me from that existence and became my guardian." Icheb calmed down as he explained to B'Elanna, reminding himself that it was irrational to respond to mistaken jealousy with anger. If B'Elanna had heard his thoughts, he wouldn't have still been standing there, but he was wise enough not to voice them.

"Why would you fuck your mother?" B'Elanna asked, her anger returning. Icheb frowned at her and flinched at the profanity.

"We did not engage in sexual congress, B'Elanna. We did nothing more than share a few chaste kisses that did nothing to strengthen our bond or cause us romantic excitement. We spent most of our time in the same manner as simple friends would. Sharing enjoyable events, discussing common interests and backgrounds. More than anything, she wanted me to tell her about who she was, or had been."

"I wish I had someone to tell me," B'Elanna said, looking away.

"Also, much of our time was spent discussing you, and your friendship. She is afraid that she will lose you. Perhaps..." Icheb shook his head. "Perhaps the next time we go to a musical, you would accompany us?" B'Elanna thought for a moment, then nodded.

"But if you ever hit on me again..."

"I understand."

Seven sat on the floor, next to B'Elanna's bed, where the half-Klingon lay sprawled.

"So you never did more than kiss?" B'Elanna asked, running her hairbrush through the blonde tresses.

"No. And it was not pleasant, either." Seven moved her body slightly to the music playing in the Klingon's bedroom, humming the words lightly.

"You didn't enjoy it at all?" B'Elanna asked, curious. Seven turned her head to look the older girl in the eye.

"I felt nothing more then my lips touching his. There was nothing more to it than that. It was like kissing Naomi." B'Elanna laughed and rolled on her side as Seven crawled into the bed in her pink and violet pajamas that B'Elanna liked so much she had a matching pair in red.

"Bet he liked hearing that it was like kissing your sister." Seven smiled.

"Not particularly. But, as he shared the sentiment, no feelings were actually injured."

"You know, I was going to have a baby. I was married and everything. But to me, all that seems like someone else's life. Everything that the other B'Elanna Torres felt, wished and dreamt was someone else's fears and hopes and dreams. None of it, even what we have in common, feels like me. You know?" Seven nodded.

"You do not behave as I remember you. I mean, towards me. We were adversarial, rather than friends."

"Best friends," B'Elanna corrected, grabbing Seven's hand. Seven grinned.

"Yes. I am glad that things are different this time. I enjoy being your friend." They lay there for a few minutes, then began arranging their pillows and crawled under the covers.

"You know, I meant what I said. That other B'Elanna's life, where she had sex and all that is like a dream, not all of it good. I've never even been kissed." They lay there for almost a minute, falling asleep. "How did Icheb kiss you?"

"He pressed his lips against mine and-" B'Elanna stopped Seven's words by jumping up and rolling onto her elbow.

"Show me." Seven sat up and smiled at B'Elanna. B'Elanna giggled and Seven started to lean in, licking her lips. Before their lips touched, both broke into a fit of giggles. Finally, they managed to control themselves long enough to sit still and calm down. After their laughter had faded, Seven slowly leaned towards B'Elanna and pressed her lips against the soft mouth awaiting their touch.

It was an instant reaction in each. They jerked apart and looked at each other. Finally, B'Elanna leaned forward and Seven snaked her hand behind the darker girl's neck. At first clumsy and breaking apart from giggles, the kisses turned deeper and more intense until they had to break apart, panting.

"It was never like that with Icheb," Seven whispered.

"But isn't that how it's supposed to be?" B'Elanna asked.

"I think so." They lay apart for only a few more seconds before Seven rolled over to snuggle against B'Elanna's chest.

"I'm sorry you were assimilated," B'Elanna whispered.

"I am not."

"But it looked like it hurt," B'Elanna said.

"It did. But I would not give up the memories, the knowledge of who I am or was for anything. Except this," she said, taking B'Elanna's hand in her own. "I might give it up for this."

"It fixed your arm," B'Elanna noticed. Seven looked down and nodded against the warm chest of her bedmate. "Does it still hurt?" Seven shook her head, no. "Do you want me to start calling you Seven, still?"

"No. I want you to call me whatever you want. I always want to be your Nika, and you, my Lala." B'Elanna couldn't help noticing how melodic Seven made the childish name sound. Nothing like her youthful mispronunciation, it was like a real name.

"I think I love you, Annika."

"I believe I love you too, B'Elanna."

"Will you still be holding me when I wake up?" the half-Klingon asked as she drifted off to sleep.

"If you will hold me." Seven murmured sleepily.

"It's a deal..." B'Elanna fell asleep before she could say anymore, content and peaceful, holding Annika, Seven, the young beauty, in her arms.

_To be continued… _


	9. When I Grow Up, Part 9

_Disclaimer: The author is not stealing from Paramount but merely 'borrowing' as described by the "Handbook of Playground Possession". A fictional document in which it states"If I was playing with it five minutes ago: it's mine. If you aren't holding it tight enough: it's mine. If it looks like mine: it's mine. If I like it: it's mine. If it's mine; it must never in any way appear to be YOURS." Therefore, seeing Paramount as the big bully who wrote this handbook I acknowledge that only the STORY and none of the characters or ships are mine. On the other hand I haven't got any milk money so don't beat me up for playing with your toys! _

Code: T/7.  
Rating: PG  
Feedback welcome and appreciated.

**When I Grow Up, Part 9**

"Cappa?" B'Elanna asked, walking up behind Janeway in their living room. Kathryn looked up and smiled.

"Yes, Lanna?" Kathryn could tell the Klingon girl was nervous.

"I... I, um, need someone to talk to." B'Elanna looked at the floor, the walls, her fingers, everywhere but the eyes of the woman in front of her.

"I'm here, B'Elanna." The girl's head shot up and she looked at Kathryn gratefully. The short sentence spoke volumes of their relationship and calmed her immediately.

"I think, that is, I'm pretty sure..." B'Elanna stammered at first and Kathryn waited, silently thinking how she had always thought that that part of the half-Klingon's personality was cute and was glad that she retained it. "I'm in love," she shot out, catching Kathryn by surprise.

"In love?" the captain repeated.

"Yeah, I think so. Um, is... is that possible? Being in love at my age?" Janeway slowly smiled and nodded.

"It's around your age when first love usually strikes," she answered the nervous teenager.

"First love? Does that mean is isn't going to last?" Kathryn thought for a moment, considering the question carefully.

"To tell the truth, I've only seen it last a couple of times in my life." B'Elanna's face fell. "But the point is, that it happens and there's no reason that I know of that yours can't be one of those rare occasions." B'Elanna's face broke into a huge smile and she hugged the woman who had raised her in a firm embrace.

"Cappa, I don't know what it's like to have a mother, but I can't imagine it's much different than having you. Thank you for raising me, especially since you didn't have to. I love you and you've been the best mother I could have hoped for." Kathryn felt tears roll down her cheeks as the Klingon girl spoke and she hugged her as tightly as she could, hating to let go.

"If I'd had a daughter, B'Elanna, I could only have hoped for her to be as intelligent, sincere and beautiful as you." B'Elanna blushed and grinned briefly before scowling.

"Ah, now you've gone all soft and mushy on me. I feel the need for some roughhousing in the holodeck, if you don't mind," she growled, shooting Kathryn a wink.

"Ow!" B'Elanna yelled as the mallet swung against her leg instead of the ball it was aimed at. She glared at her holographic opponent and smashed the ball into the goal just as the timer sounded. Seven threw down her mallet and yelled.

"You always beat me! Isn't there a game you're not any good at?" Annika wailed morosely.

"Give me a break. You always beat me at Intelligent Cube, Three-D Chess and I can't even begin to figure out that Vulcan game."

"That is true," Seven said, brightening. "You simply excel at sports. I'm the brains and you're the brawn." B'Elanna growled and tossed down her mallet. Seven squeaked and began running, knowing what was coming. What was coming was a roaring teenage Klingon.

B'Elanna didn't have far to run before she tackled Seven and began tickling her ferociously. Between bouts of uncontrollable laughter, Annika poked fun at B'Elanna until, unable to withstand the torture anymore, she relented and apologized.

"You wimp. You'd spill under just a few seconds of torture," B'Elanna teased, poking Annika's hip for good measure. The blonde giggled and shook her head.

"That is not a logical assessment. You are merely attempting to extract an apology from me, not sensitive data. Also, my tormentors are not likely to know my special tickle spot," she added with a laugh, then turned the tables on her playmate, catching B'Elanna in her ribs. B'Elanna fell into a giggling heap. "You, on the other hand, are ticklish everywhere and are much more likely to bend under pressure." B'Elanna held up her hands pleadingly, to make Seven stop. She complied and they lay there on the Parises Squares court, catching their breath.

"Have you worked things out with Sam yet?" B'Elanna asked.

"There is nothing to work out."

"She was just trying to protect you," B'Elanna argued.

"Despite her motives, which I maintain to be nefarious," B'Elanna giggled at the word and Annika frowned. "I do not believe that she had my best interests in mind, but rather her own selfish reasons."

"Maybe it's because I'm older, but I don't agree with you." She held up her hands as Seven began to retort. "Just because I don't agree with you doesn't make it my place to interfere. It's your life. I just don't like to see you suffering." Annika rolled over and looked up at B'Elanna.

"If I'm as pompous as you when I turn eighteen, please slap me," Annika said, making B'Elanna laugh.

"I'll slap you now for that," the Klingon joked. Seven leaned in close to B'Elanna's face.

"I would rather you kissed me," she whispered. B'Elanna closed her eyes and leaned in to capture Seven's lips with her own.

"Allotted holodeck time expired." The scenery around them vanished at the computer's announcement and they stood. The doors to the holodeck hissed open and Tom and Harry walked into the room, laughing. Tom's laughter died when he spotted B'Elanna and the young woman sighed.

"May I have a moment, Annika?" Seven nodded and left the holodeck, looking over her shoulder only once. "Ensign Kim, may I please talk to Tom in private?" Tom looked suspicious, but Harry nodded.

"I'll be right outside if you need me, Tom," Harry said, patting his friend on the shoulder. B'Elanna stared at the ground until Harry left.

"I wanted to apologize. What I did was unacceptable and I'm sorry that I put you in such an uncomfortable situation," B'Elanna said as quickly as she could, before she lost her nerve. Then she looked up into the helmsman's surprised face.

"Thank you, B'Elanna. I know how hard it is for you to apologize," Tom said and B'Elanna nodded curtly, then headed for the holodeck doors. "B'Elanna," Tom called and the half-Human girl paused. "Maybe, when you grow up a bit..." B'Elanna turned around.

"Sorry, flyboy. Not a chance. You're not really my type." With that, B'Elanna spun on her heel and left.

_To be continued… _


	10. When I Grow Up, Part 10

_Disclaimer: The author is not stealing from Paramount but merely 'borrowing' as described by the "Handbook of Playground Possession". A fictional document in which it states"If I was playing with it five minutes ago: it's mine. If you aren't holding it tight enough: it's mine. If it looks like mine: it's mine. If I like it: it's mine. If it's mine; it must never in any way appear to be YOURS." Therefore, seeing Paramount as the big bully who wrote this handbook I acknowledge that only the STORY and none of the characters or ships are mine. On the other hand I haven't got any milk money so don't beat me up for playing with your toys! _

Code: T/7.  
Rating: PG  
Feedback welcome and appreciated.

**When I Grow Up, Part 10**

"What do you think is going to happen to us?" Annika asked, her head in B'Elanna's lap as the two listened to the old B'Elanna Torres' music files.

"We'll be exposed to a phased tachyon-"

"Not the mechanics, I know those as well as you do."

"I know," B'Elanna answered, sighing. "The truth is, I honestly don't know what it will feel like and I can't even imagine. It might hurt even more than the aging; maybe it will stop the pain. Have you decided how old you want to be?"

"Twenty-three. I decided that I would still be young, but old enough to serve on Voyager and closer to the age of the youngest of the crew, besides Naomi and Icheb, of course. And you?"

"I'm not sure. I was thinking about ending it the next time it happened, so that I could live as long as possible. I mean, I'm still /technically/ twenty-nine years old, even if physically, I'm only twenty or twenty-one." Seven smiled up at B'Elanna.

"Then I would be the eldest," she said, grinning.

"Well if you put it that way, maybe I should wait a few cycles," B'Elanna growled, rolling Annika, who giggled, onto her back and straddling her.

"By Federation law, it would be illegal for you to perform the act I can see you're thinking about, B'Elanna," Seven said, laughing.

"Why?" B'Elanna asked, suddenly concerned.

"Because you are eighteen and I am not. It's statutory-" Her words were stopped by the sound of the front room door hissing open. They broke apart and Annika sighed. "We shall forever be abrogated in our flirtations," she mumbled.

"I thought I was the one who couldn't speak clearly," B'Elanna teased, earning a playful shove from her companion. The door to B'Elanna's room chimed and B'Elanna crawled onto the bed and called, "Come in." Captain Janeway came into the room, smiling. Seven had picked up the padd on Warp Theory that she was studying and pretended that she was engrossed in it.

"B'Elanna, Seven, may I talk to you for a moment?" The girls turned to her and she took a deep breath. "The Doctor believes that he has perfected the procedure, thanks to Ensigns Kim and Vorik's hard work helping him test his device. That means, that whenever you're ready, he's going to stimulate a growth spurt and you can either wait it out a few days, then undergo another, or have him 'cure' you with the first."

"Stimulate a spurt? Can he do that?" Annika asked.

"He believes that he has found a way. Apparently, you are both in a state of temporal flux during your growth spurt. The trigger is fairly interesting. Apparently, when we reach exactly warp 2.88 and maintain it for thirty-two seconds, the exact speed your shuttle was at and the length of time that it was traveling at that speed when you encountered the anomaly, you will grow."

"Like a sort of temporal loop? Only, as the trigger rather than the result?" B'Elanna asked. Both Seven and Kathryn looked at her.

"I'm not certain," Janeway said honestly. "Temporal mechanics was never a strong subject for me."

"Nor me," Annika added. B'Elanna shrugged.

"I've just begun studying it." B'Elanna found herself enjoying the feeling of understanding something better than both her best friend and her adoptive mother, although she kept quiet about it.

"Should we do it now?" Annika asked quietly, looking at B'Elanna.

"Sure, why not?" B'Elanna looked at Kathryn and realized that it was the last day she would be a child, although she wasn't really anymore. Still, it was as though she would finally be grown up. She was just glad that she wouldn't be going through it alone. Not caring about discretion any more, she reached out and took her love's hand as they stood. Seven squeezed hers reassuringly and they walked hand in hand to Sickbay.

_To be continued… _


	11. When I Grow Up, Part 11

_Disclaimer: The author is not stealing from Paramount but merely 'borrowing' as described by the "Handbook of Playground Possession". A fictional document in which it states"If I was playing with it five minutes ago: it's mine. If you aren't holding it tight enough: it's mine. If it looks like mine: it's mine. If I like it: it's mine. If it's mine; it must never in any way appear to be YOURS." Therefore, seeing Paramount as the big bully who wrote this handbook I acknowledge that only the STORY and none of the characters or ships are mine. On the other hand I haven't got any milk money so don't beat me up for playing with your toys! _

_"When I Grow Up" lyrics owned by Garbage and whoever owns them. I only borrowed._

Code: T/7.  
Rating: PG  
Feedback welcome and appreciated.

**When I Grow Up, Part 11**

B'Elanna sat perched on the biobed, pushing back her unruly hair and kicking her feet nervously. She glanced at Seven, who smiled reassuringly, but she was too agitated to return it. She watched the EMH's every move as he set up the device in the surgical bay. Annika held her hand out to almost brush the forcefield separating them. Kathryn stood by, watching the doctor almost as closely as the Klingon girl.

"Why are they on the other side of a forcefield? Is this going to make me sick?" B'Elanna asked suddenly.

"It's to protect them from tachyon radiation," the EMH said. "But it's just a precaution and it isn't likely that you will be harmed." He looked at her worriedface and smiled gently. "Relax, we won't do this until you're ready." B'Elanna looked at the floor for a moment, then inched back on the bed and lay down.

"I'm ready." Annika walked over to her own biobed and lay down, preparing herself for rapid aging. The doctor stepped through the forcefield and walked up to the blonde girl. He picked up a hypospray, but she just stared at the ceiling, listening for the hiss that would let her know the sedative had been administered.

B'Elanna heard the faint sound of Seven's injection. She looked at the device above her and wondered how old she would be with this spurt. Annika had been slowing down, while she seemed to speed ahead and she wondered if perhaps it could be several spurts before her friend was even caught up, much less the age she wanted to be. B'Elanna looked over at the captain, who smiled at her and she finally returned the smile. A buzz announced that the hologram had stepped through the field again and B'Elanna turned her attention to him.

" 'Chaos rules when we're apart. Watch my temper, I go mental, I'll try to be gentle when I grow up...' " B'Elannasang quietlyto herself.

"Just relax, B'Elanna. When you wake up, this will all be over." B'Elanna mutely watched as he brought the hypo to her neck and she felt a pinch as the sedative was administered. The walls around her blurred and she was overcome with immediate exhaustion and sucked down into sleep.

"Mr. Paris, engage." Janeway said after tapping her commbadge.

_"Aye, ma'am."_

The doctor waited until he saw B'Elanna's bones begin to grow, waited until she had finished, then activated the phased tachyon stream. Within seconds, he could tell that something was wrong. B'Elanna finished growing into adulthood, certainly, but she didn't stop. Instead of ending the rapid aging, it sped it up. Within seconds, she had passed her original age and was quickly becoming an old woman. Her face thinned and her hair grayed.

The Doctor tried not to panic. 'Maybe if I just reverse the-" he fiddled with the controls until the beam paused, then resumed casting a yellow hue on B'Elanna. For a moment, it appeared that the aging was just going to stop, then even faster than she had aged, she regressed. The doctor turned off the device quickly, but B'Elanna kept regressing.

The doctor desperately reinitialized the beam, but she had already regressed to being only nineteen. But the ordeal was over and she had not been awake to know what had happened. The Doctor closed the biobed over her to run scans while he revived Seven. He quickly assessed that Annika had aged to approximately 21 years, which was the biggest leap she had taken so far.

Seven sat up groggily, the stimulant quickly running its course and looked around.

"Where is B'Elanna?" she asked in her straightforward manner, looking about worriedly.

"There was an accident during the procedure-" Annika jumped off the table and ran towards the surgical bay, stopping only to hit the forcefield control, then ran to B'Elanna's side. The EMH sighed and walked up to B'Elanna's monitors and checked the scans, pressing the button that slid the monitor back into the bed. Seven looked up at him from across the bed.

"Will she be alright, Doctor?" The doctor gave her a tight-lipped smile and pressed the hypo to B'Elanna's neck. B'Elanna opened her eyes and sat up, stretching.

"So... How old am I?" B'Elanna asked, grinning. One look at the EMH's grim face told her that she wasn't going to be happy with his answer. "It didn't work, did it?"

"Not exactly," the Doctor answered and then proceeded to explain what had happened while she was unconscious. She looked down at her feet as she swung them off the side of the bed.

"Do you think I'll grow again, the next time we age Annika?" The Doc looked at her and shook his head.

"I really can't answer that. You may now be nineteen years old until your next birthday. If, when we next accelerate Seven's growth, you do not age, then we can assume that you will grow as any normal girl your age and race would."

"How long before we can once again perform the aging process?" Seven asked. The Doctor smiled slightly.

"We can begin tomorrow at oh-ten-hundred hours, under the same conditions."

"Thank you, Doctor," Seven said quietly. The EMH nodded at the dismissal and left the three alone. B'Elanna looked up at Seven and gave her a half smile.

"Don't get a big head just because you're older now. And don't think you can boss me around, either." B'Elanna grinned toothily.

"It was not my intention to do so." Seven replied, a twinkle in her eye.

"How do you feel, B'Elanna?" Kathryn asked. B'Elanna shrugged.

"At least this time it didn't hurt," she said. "I don't really feel much different. I just kinda hope that I get a little older next time. I'd like to at least be old enough to work in Engineering again." Seven turned and left, lost in her own thoughts. B'Elanna hopped down off the table and started to follow her, but the captain stayed next to her.

"So you plan to be an Engineer?" B'Elanna was distracted from her goal and nodded, eager to talk about the plans that she had been forming.

"I love engineering, I guess it's just part of my personality; and I was hoping that I might some day become Chief of Engineering again. I mean, not tomorrow or something, but if I get as good as I used to be." Kathryn's face broke into a grin.

"I think that would be wonderful, B'Elanna. You've always shown an aptitude for all things mechanical, and your mind is just as sharp as I ever knew it to be. To be honest, I might have been a little disappointed if you had decided not to go back to what you were so good at." B'Elanna beamed at the approval.

Seven walked into the Wildman quarters and up to Samantha, who was reading on the couch, intent on making up for her recent behavior. Sam looked up when Annika walked in and smiled. Seven returned the smile for once then joined her adoptive mother on the couch.

"I am sorry that I have been cruel. I was angry and felt that you were unjust to deny me my past. I know now that you simply wished to give me a childhood, and a better past. I am no longer angry with you."

"I'm glad to hear that, Seven. I just wanted to be a good mother, I really enjoyed having you as a daughter and sister for Naomi."

"Please, call me Annika. I know that you prefer that designation."

"All right. May I hug you, Annika?" Sam looked at the young woman tentatively. Seven hugged Samantha, letting go of the angst that had filled her life the past few weeks, glad that her adolescence was finally over.

_To be continued… _


	12. When I Grow Up, Part 12

_Disclaimer: The author is not stealing from Paramount but merely 'borrowing' as described by the "Handbook of Playground Possession". A fictional document in which it states"If I was playing with it five minutes ago: it's mine. If you aren't holding it tight enough: it's mine. If it looks like mine: it's mine. If I like it: it's mine. If it's mine; it must never in any way appear to be YOURS." Therefore, seeing Paramount as the big bully who wrote this handbook I acknowledge that only the STORY and none of the characters or ships are mine. On the other hand I haven't got any milk money so don't beat me up for playing with your toys! _

Code: T/7.  
Rating: PG  
Feedback welcome and appreciated.

**When I Grow Up, Part 12**

"This is just a precaution, B'Elanna," the holographic physician soothed. B'Elanna glared at him.

"What if the same thing happens to Annika?"

"I assure you, I've corrected the problem and it won't. Now, Vorik will be monitoring you, since he was the primary Engineer in charge of creating the tachyon device-"

"And so you have someone to blame if I wake up an eighty year-old woman," B'Elanna growled back. The EMH sighed and shook his head, then looked at Vorik.

"She's all yours," the Doctor told the Vulcan Engineer. Vorik nodded and moved into position. B'Elanna looked over at Seven, who was in the surgical bed next to her, being talked through the procedure by the doctor. They hadn't been apart in the last day, even sleeping in the quarters that captain Janeway had assigned to Annika and she, since they were both adults now.

Nothing had happened beyond their studying like there was no tomorrow, since both had voracious appetites for knowledge that they had to fill, if they were to become the officers they wished to become. The doctor returned to B'Elanna and began attaching small cortical monitors to her temple.

"What are those for?" B'Elanna demanded. The Doctor sighed again.

"Due to the unpredictable nature of this experiment, I'm temporarily using the transporter's pattern buffers to store your memory engrams. That way, if something goes wrong, we'll be able to restore your memories."

"What do you think is going to go wrong?" B'Elanna asked, suddenly on the verge of panic, thinking '_If I move to a nice planet, I'll never be traveling at warp, so I won't have to be exposed to the temporal flux and..._'

"Ideally, nothing will go wrong. I just wish to be prepared for any contingency."

"Oh, I feel so much better," B'Elanna growled sarcastically, earning an annoyed look from the hologram, who picked up a hypo and aimed it at the nervous teenager's neck.

"Good-night, Lala. I will see you when we wake," Annika called as the sedative hissed against B'Elanna's neck.

"'Night, Nika. See you soon." Then everything went dark for the half-Klingon. Seven watched the doctor return to her side then returned her gaze to her sleeping friend.

"Are you going to store my memories?" Annika asked. The EMH nodded his head as he attached the cortical monitors to her temples. "Will they be reintegrated as soon as I wake up?"

"That all depends. If you, say, age in reverse, the I won't be able to restore your memories until after I've restored your age. That is the only instance I'm preparing for, since, if you age as you have been, you shall retain your memories as always." Seven nodded her understanding and lay back on the bed, waiting for the hiss that would let her know that the procedure was finished. She didn't wait long.

Seven opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was the device suspended above her. The next was Vorik. She raised her ocular implant and sat up.

"Where is the Doctor?" she asked, looking around. She didn't have far to look to find him hunched over B'Elanna's bed. He emitted a curse that sent a bolt of near-panic through Seven. She sprung from the biobed and ran to stand next to the doctor. Laying on the biobed was B'Elanna, sleeping peacefully; but she was two years old.

_To be continued…_


	13. When I Grow Up, Part 13

_Disclaimer: The author is not stealing from Paramount but merely 'borrowing' as described by the "Handbook of Playground Possession". A fictional document in which it states"If I was playing with it five minutes ago: it's mine. If you aren't holding it tight enough: it's mine. If it looks like mine: it's mine. If I like it: it's mine. If it's mine; it must never in any way appear to be YOURS." Therefore, seeing Paramount as the big bully who wrote this handbook I acknowledge that only the STORY and none of the characters or ships are mine. On the other hand I haven't got any milk money so don't beat me up for playing with your toys! _

Code: T/7.  
Rating: PG  
Feedback welcome and appreciated.

**When I Grow Up, Part 13 **

"I thought you had the 'problem corrected.' That is what you said, amd I not mistaken?" Seven demanded.

"Calm down, Seven," Kathryn said gently, a protective hand on the young woman's shoulder. "I'm certain the doctor will be able to correct this?" Though technically a statement, the question was apparent in Janeway's tone, as well as the worry.

"I believe that it has to do with the last attempt, Captain. Rather than aging forward, as she had been doing, I believe that my tampering with the temporal-"

"You made her age backward again." Seven glared at the doctor. "Fix it."

"I'm not sure it will be safe to attempt-"

"Correct your mistake!" Seven's voice broke and she closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them, cold as steel in her anger and fear, and glared at the EMH. Janeway's hand tightened on Seven's shoulder and the doctor's face showed the pain of his error and the concern.

"I can attempt the original failed experiment again. I believe that I may be able to cause her to age forward again, but I will need a few days to adjust the equipment so that I might stop her growth, as I have done with you, at the correct time in her life."

"Nika?" The little girl was sitting up, looking around, her eyes wide and frightened.

"She remembers me?" Seven whispered. The EMH nodded.

"Only her memories after this age have been wiped." Seven walked over to B'Elanna's side, the tiny Klingon tracking her with curiosity.

"I am here, Lala," Seven told her.

"Who you? Where my Nika?" B'Elanna glared fiercely at Seven.

"I am Annika... your Nika."

"Nuh-uh. Ba! Want Nika! Nika, Nika, Nika!" B'Elanna shrieked, swinging a kick at Seven that she was barely fast enough to avoid. She had been expecting it, though.

"I am Nika, Lala," Seven explained patiently. "I grew up." The wails stopped for a moment as B'Elanna stared at Seven, considering this new information.

"Lala go up?" B'Elanna asked. At the look on Seven's face, B'Elanna once again became enraged, screwed her face up and screamed. "Lala up too! No no no no no! Ba Nika! Lala up!"

"You will grow up, Lala," Seven said, dodging the flailing legs by stepping back out of reach. B'Elanna stopped for a moment. "It will just be a little while."

"Noooooooooooooooo!" B'Elanna screamed. "Now! Nownownownownow!" B'Elanna threw herself back in the bed and screamed and cried. Seven looked over at Kathryn helplessly, to find her captain rubbing her temples and shaking her head.

"It's just not fair," the captain muttered. "In less that a year, a two year-old, a teenager, and a two year-old again, and she's Klingon to boot. It's just not fair."

The next few days were a painful _deja vu_ for Captain Janeway and tremendously lonely for Seven of Nine. Though she saw B'Elanna on a daily basis, she found it hard to reconcile that this was her Lala. She sat alone in their quarters, looking at the pictures little B'Elanna had drawn for her, that she had hung on her walls and wished with all her heart to have her B'Elanna back as quickly as possible.

Finally, she left her quarters, having been unable to study the last bit of information she would need to take her place in the science department, to eventually work back to Astrometrics. She wandered the halls until she found herself in the Mess Hall. She stepped into line and received Neelix's soup of the day, trying to ignore the odd puce color. Neelix tried to cheer her up, but the very sight of the man who had tutored her alongside B'Elanna was too much for her to bear and she hurried to a table. About three spoonfuls in, that she couldn't even taste, she looked up, startled. Tom Paris was sitting across from her.

"It's hard, I know. Losing her."

"I have not lost her. There was merely an accident that will soon be corrected."

"Doesn't feel like that though, does it?" Seven looked up at the helmsman. She noticed, with surprise, that he seemed to have aged since she last saw him. Then she realized that he had seemed to have been aging as fast as she and B'Elanna. There was only sympathy and understanding in his eyes. No malice, no grief.

"No, it feels as though a piece of myself is missing," Seven admitted. Tom nodded and smiled slightly. "The Doctor… I know that he is working as fast as he can, but it feels like he is taking forever."

"Growing up takes forever," Tom replied. Seven smiled a little.

"I am sorry that you lost her." Seven looked at her soup, realizing that Tom had suffered this same pain, only worse, because he knew his wife was lost to him. She had hope, whereas he had not.

"It was hard, seeing her grow. I kept imagining what it would have been like if she had been our daughter, instead of herself. That she might have grown up like that, only slower, with us. Or at least, with me."

"I can sympathize, though our situations are different. I can imagine what it must have been like."

"You've been such a good friend to her. I'm glad she didn't have to do this alone."

"Thank you," Seven said. They sat there in silence a few moments, then Tom stood up and walked away, placing his hand on Seven's shoulder briefly. By the time that she was finished eating, Seven realized that she could bear waiting on the Doctor. She understood that the outcome was all that mattered, not how long it took. And if he couldn't fix it…

If he couldn't fix it, she would be there for her friend as she grew up.

"It'll be okay, Lala. You'll go to sleep and when you wake up, you'll be grown up. Like I am." B'Elanna whimpered as she looked at the device suspended over the bed and hid her face against Seven's shoulder. Seven rubbed her back. "If you are too frightened, we can wait…"

"No!" the little girl shouted. "Lala go up. Be like Nika." Seven smiled and set B'Elanna down on the bed, where she, thought obviously nervous, laid back and closed her eyes. Seven was about to walk away when she felt a tiny hand close around hers. She took the hand and held it. "Love oo Nika." Seven felt tears well up in her eyes.

"I love you, too, Lala. Sweet dreams." With a small smile, the Doctor pressed the hypo into B'Elanna's neck and a moment later, the child was asleep.

"You'll have to wait behind the forcefield."

"Of course," Seven agreed and stepped back to stand with Janeway. The captain reached out and squeezed her shoulder. They watched as the forcefield went up, the doctor ordering the warp sequence to begin. He began sending phased tachyons through B'Elanna and when the computer announced the thirty-two second mark, she began to change. It was more rapid than Seven had ever seen and she almost had to look away, as the sight was fairly nauseating. The doctor watched closely, then fired another field of tachyons from his array and it stopped.

The room was silent as the doctor worked at restoring B'Elanna's memories. After a few minutes, he stood straight and smiled. It seemed that everyone began breathing again. They were still traveling at warp 2.88 and B'Elanna was stable. It had worked!

"I still can't believe I drew those just a month ago. You know, it won't hurt my feelings if you take them down." B'Elanna said, kicking her feet back and forth in the air as she lay on her stomach. Somehow, they had both managed to stop aging at exactly 25 years-old. Neither one could now claim to be older, although B'Elanna still pointed out that she had lived longer, even if she didn't remember most of it.

"It would hurt mine," Seven responded. "My Lala drew them for me." B'Elanna laughed and looked over at the love of her life, reached out and took her hand. Seven smiled back and leaned in for a kiss. "How is Engineering?"

"It's great, I love it. Are you excited about starting in Astrometrics next week?"

"I believe that I have stated that fact on numerous occasions."

"I know. I was teasing. It's all you've been talking about." Seven shrugged slightly. She rolled over and hugged B'Elanna close to her. B'Elanna snuggled into the embrace. "Do you think anything could be better than this?"

"No." They lay there like that for a long time, just enjoying each other's presence, basking in their love. "Are you going to try for Chief Engineer?" Seven asked. B'Elanna smiled and turned to look at her.

"Of course. Just as soon as I grow up."

_The End._


End file.
